Longreach to Tennant Creek road trip: Distance, time & best stops
The best stops to add to a Longreach to Tennant Creek road trip itinerary are Winton, Cloncurry and Mount Isa. By car along sealed roads, the distance from Longreach to Tennant Creek is 1,307km, with a driving time of around 13h54m.
Planning a Longreach to Tennant Creek road trip itinerary
A Longreach to Tennant Creek road trip is one of the epic Australian journeys, featuring a host of quirky outback towns and plenty of wide open space. Most people passing along this route will be on a longer road trip – say from Brisbane to Darwin or Sydney to Darwin.
Longreach offers evocative cruises along the Thomson River, adventures on an old-fashioned stagecoach and an outback sheep station experience. To investigate the best Longreach tour and activity options, head this way. To pick the right Longreach accommodation, nosey around here.
To check out the best accommodation in Tennant Creek, head here.
There’s an awful lot to see along the way, though. This expert-researched guide should help you plan your perfect Longreach to Tennant Creek road trip itinerary.
Longreach to Tennant Creek distance and driving time
Using the quickest route along sealed roads by car, the distance from Longreach to Tennant Creek is 1,307km. That makes for a driving time of around 13 hours and 54 minutes.
The best road trip stops to add to a Longreach to Tennant Creek road trip itinerary are Winton, Cloncurry and Mount Isa.
4 Longreach experiences to book before you arrive
- Starlights river cruise – take in sunset along the Thomson River aboard a paddlewheeler.
- Cobb & Co stagecoach experience – travel along an outback dirt road pulled by galloping horses.
- Wildlife and woolsheds tour on a double decker bus through Nogo Station.
- Dinosaur-packed day tour to Winton.
Longreach accommodation picks
Longreach offers a surprisingly interesting range of accommodation. The options particularly worthy of consideration are…
- For central location and a pool: Abajaz Motor Inn or Longreach Motor Inn.
- For luxury glamping: Mitchell Grass Retreat.
- For charm and character: Saltbush Retreat.
Longreach to Tennant Creek road trip: Longreach to Cloncurry
Longreach is full of attractions. The Qantas Founders Museum looks at the story of Australia’s oldest airline. The Australian Stockman’s Hall of Fame and Outback Heritage Centre has great evening shows. And a Thomson River cruise is a lovely way to enjoy the sunset.
Winton, the next stop along the Landsborough Highway, also brims with attractions. Australian Age of Dinosaurs looks at the wealth of dinosaur fossils found around Winton. There’s also the Waltzing Matilda Centre, which celebrates Australia’s national poem, composed by Banjo Paterson nearby.
4 Winton experiences that will make your visit better
- Day tour to Carisbrooke Station and the ancient dino footprints of the Dinosaur Stampede.
- Sunset tour to the outback rock channels of Rangelands Station.
- 3/4 day tour to the Dinosaur Stampede and Merton Gorge.
- Half day tour to the Age of Dinosaurs Museum – or make your own way and visit the fossil preparation laboratory.
Winton accommodation recommendations
Australian hotel specialist Wotif offers accommodation in Winton for from $138 a night. Search the options here.
But the best bets are…
- For best quality: Winton Outback Motel.
- For best value (and a pool): Boulder Opal Motor Inn.
- For families: Hamilton Retreat.
- For heritage: North Gregory Hotel.
Moving on north towards Cloncurry, there are a couple of famous pubs. The Blue Heeler in Kynuna, on the Diamantia River, plus McKinlay’s Walkabout Creek Hotel are good slices of stereotypical Australia.
Things to do in Cloncurry include the John Flynn Place Museum, devoted to the founder of the Royal Flying Doctor Service, and fossil-fancying Cloncurry Unearthed.
Cloncurry accommodation options include the personality-packed Gidgee Inn and the solidly decent Leichhardt Hotel Motel.
Click through for the next section: Cloncurry to Tennant Creek.